Olympics in Rio: The Olympics of many first times symbolizing hope.

I will talk about the Olympics in Rio again, in the last post I talked about three trends that we usually see in the streets of Rio, this time I will tell three stories of the first times in this Olympics full of polemics, between doping stories, economic issues and the health situation in Brazil, now I will tell three beautiful stories, 3 first times, which surely do more honor to the Olympic motto: ” Citius! Altius !, Fortius “ , Translated from the Latin, “faster , higher, stronger.”

Citius!

While here in Italy things walk at snail’s steps for equality of civil rights, the British hockey team sends the first married gay couple for the Olympics. Helen and Kate fell in love with each other at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and have been married for 3 years. They, at the beginning of the relationship had also to overcome some prejudices on the team, but they were accepted and the entire team went to their wedding. How many others might not have fallen in love in the Olympic villages and had to hide or smother it because of prejudice? Citius! Citius! Citius! We should also follow the example of Helen and Kate, being faster to meet the finish line of a society that always rewards the love.

Altius!

Lea T flies higher than prejudice, she will be the first transsexual model that will be in the parade at the opening ceremony of the Olympics and she’ll leave a very clear message: Inclusion. Lea T is the daughter of the soccer player Toninho Cerezo a former assistant of Ticardo Tisci, Givenchy muse campaigns, now she is the new Redken ‘s face and the first trans supermodel in the world, redesigning new concepts of beauty. The choice of Lea T for the opening of the Olympic Games is an important message to Brazil, a country that is the champion of murders and violence against homosexuals and this situation is exacerbated by the growth of intolerant and sexist religions. When Lea T was invited in the Italian television show ‘ Invasões Barbáricas’, his father Toninho Cerezo read a very touching letter to his daughter, he came from a sexist and hypocritical culture of soccer and gave a great example of deep love:“What father hasn’t thought this way once? It would be nice if there were a complete manual, to teach and orient as how to be a father at all stages of life of our children!Although there are books, manuals, good advices, the truth is that parenting goes beyond advice and theories. Everyone knows that it is up to fatherhood a part of the responsibility to care for, educate, protect and prepare children to get into society. But the human soul is very complex, and we are far from knowing all that being called mutant man is able to do, and want to be …My boy, my girl forever, forever, both will be mine.Still in the womb, Leandro was an expected and beloved son. In his childhood, his sweet smile and curly hair did not indicate any trend me, he was just a child, he was just my son. Over the years and the arrival of adolescence, I met in intimacy and the moments we spent together, his different way – the absence of clear preference for male games. I realized interest in subjects related to art and the female universe.Because of my family background I have been based on respect, grew up in free environment and could choose to play soccer and just live with my gifts in the field. As I did not have the dreamed manual, “How to Create Children” I raised them equally free to make their choices, without charges or imposition. While I noticed the differences, I also realized that he could do nothing, and all that I could give her / him was my unconditional love, security, comfort and the certainty that, in any event, no matter how far I would always by his side.In an interview, Lea said the only thing she would like to learn in soccer was the keepie uppie (get this!), And she even tried to learn it, but was she not very successful. I know that I work in a male-dominated environment, but there was never influence or space for charge, I just gave her the opportunity to be with me if she wanted to.I may have been remiss as a father, but there is no reason for frustration. We cannot be good at all. And you, Lea T. Cerezo, knows much more than keepie uppie. You had the courage to elegantly, try to break paradigms and show the world that we do must accept, differences, be tolerant to diversity, understand and not judge what you do not know.The road may be long, but it sure will not be the same after you. Fatherhood is free of any standard of any discretion imposed by society, child must be accepted in its entirety, in its full condition of life, regardless of their sexual orientation.How would the poet Cazuza say, “Time do not stop, not, not, do not stop” and grown child is not up to the parents educate anymore. So, here or there, I cheer for you, Lea. Boy or girl, Leandro or Lea, it does not matter, I will always be your father and you will proudly be a piece of me. “

Fortius!

At the Olympics in Rio the first delegation of refugees will participate with the Olympic flag, composed of 10 athletes: 5 South Sudan, 2 from Syria and Congo, one of Ethiopia. Who will carry the flag will be Syrian swimmer: Yusra Mardini, 18. Yusra Mardini along with her sister Sarah Mardini, also swimmer were great promises in Syria before the war. In 2011 with the beginning of the war in Syria, Yusra and Sarah left the practice in 2015 and escaped to Damascus due to increased fighting and violence. They first fled to Beirut, Lebanon, after that they went to Istanbul and finally Smirne in Turkey. From there they crossed the Aegean Sea on a rubber boat to the Greek island of Lesbo. The boat’s engine broke and the boat had 20 people on it, only Yusra and Sarah sisters could swim, they’ve done it in the open sea and on the strength of their arms defied the sea, swimming, they pushed the boat to the Greek coast. Alone they saved 18 people. In September 2015 they arrived in Berlin. After weeks of tests, Yusra became part of the club Wasserfreunde Spandau 04, one of the oldest sporting clubs in Berlin.